Light switch/fitting not working

[mouk]

I am ready to call out an electrician but worth checking I am not missing something obvious.

Our light fitting in the living room is fairly old - around 15 years. The other day it broke and would not switch on (it holds 3 bulbs and none of them worked). I assumed due to age it was knackered - not a problem.

After presisng the light switch a few tiems - that also broke - it sort of got stuck in the middle and woudl not go all the way to up or down position. I assumed it had some sort of fuse or soemthing in it.

Anyway I went out and bought a new switch and light fitting.

I fitted the light switch - no problems. I replciated exactly what was there - L1 and L2 (earth stayed conencted to the wall mounted box).

The old lighting had one of the plastic terminal boxes connecting the ceilign wire to the light fitting wire. I got rid of that. So I was left with 1 wire coming from the ceiling which had red, black and green/yellow (old colours). I believe this is a junction box system or something as some light wiring looks a lot more complex with switch wires.

Anyway I followed the instructions and connected live to live and neutral to neutral and earth on its own.

Tried it - nothing.

So either my fitting is dodgy or a problem somewhere else.

No problems elsewhere in the house with any electrcis.

Before I call out an electrcian does anyone have any thoughts?

I wondered whether I had done the wiring wrong. There are so many variations on the net but most seem geared up for the more complex scenarioes where there is more than 1 wire.


My wiring is exactly like this apart from the fact the ceiling wire has old colours.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/content/...o/fix_ceiling_light/1.gif;diybf03a07e37a34079

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

At the switch use com and L1

 

[mouk]

At the switch use com and L1

OK will try that tomorrow - from memory the red went to L1 and the black went to L2 with a red sleeve on it.

The old switch only had L1 L2 L3.

Is the COM thing new in the last 10-15 years?

So red to L1 and black to COM?

 

[Spark123]

It isn't new, it just depends on the make of switch. Some manufacturers label them as L1, L2 (and L3 for two way switches). Others label them as COM and L1 (and L2) meaning the same thing - just to confuse people
If you have bought a Com and L1 flavour then yes, either way around will work.
If the switch is upside down when you wire it then you can swop it around by using Com and L2 (or just turn it the other way up)

 

[mouk]

brilliant - it works

only thing is the switch is the wrong way round in that the when the light is on the switch is in what is usually considered the off position.

If i turn the electric off and press the switch will it solve it? or will the fact the electric is off then reverse things?

i suppose I need to turn the eletric off, put the switch in the off position and then what i turn it back on the swith will be in the off position.

damn.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

OK will try that tomorrow - from memory the red went to L1 and the black went to L2 with a red sleeve on it.

Red will be perm live this would normally go to L or com terminal and black sleeved red, is switch live and would go to L1 or L2.

The old switch only had L1 L2 L3.

The problem is there are a number of different manufacturers that label/mark their connections differently and if the switch has a com or L terminal this would normally be connected to perm live.

Is the COM thing new in the last 10-15 years?

No it has been around much longer than that!

Just check out the switch markings, it is highly likely you have a com or L terminal and a L1, L2 terminal on the switch.

So red to L1 and black to COM?

If you have a com perm live to it (red) but you may have and L, either way red (perm live) to it. Black to L1.

 

[Adam_151]

No, That will not help.

You need to move the conductor thats in L1 to L2 or vice-versa. Or just rotate the whole plate by 180 degress

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

brilliant - it works

only thing is the switch is the wrong way round in that the when the light is on the switch is in what is usually considered the off position.

If i turn the electric off and press the switch will it solve it? or will the fact the electric is off then reverse things?

i suppose I need to turn the eletric off, put the switch in the off position and then what i turn it back on the swith will be in the off position.

damn.

You could turn the switch around but com is perm live/red and black is L1, then fit the switch so the printing is the right way up and should be okay.